I've been excited about this one for a long time and if you love house music, you should be too. When it comes to electronic music, I'm a sucker for French house, so when a legendary producer and DJ from that genre comes to town, I definitely take notice. The Summit Music hall will be hosting exactly that this weekend on Saturday, September 8th with a special live set from Fred Falke.


French producer Fred Falke got his start in the music realm as a funk bass player in the mid 1990s. He turned to electronic production towards the end of the decade, the same time now prolific and influential French house artists like Daft Punk and Cassius were churning out next level fuel for the dance floor. He began collaborating with Alan Braxe - the same producer that collaborated with Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter to create the now classic "Music Sounds Better With You" under the name Stardust - and the pair went on to create a slew of quality releases throughout most of the 2000s. Fred Falke has also put out a steady stream of solo work and in-demand remixes, along with other notable collaborations with Kris Menace.



Fred Falke's latest solo work is Part IV, a full length album of productions that embraces the millennial French house sound wrapped around the signature touch Fred Falke has maintained over the years and is sought after for - it may be his first solo LP, but by no means is it his first rodeo. What makes Fred Falke's show this weekend special, aside from his pedigree as an accomplished producer, is he will be performing a rare live set that will show off his capability as a bass player as he simultaneously DJs - definitely a sight to see considering the way Fred Falke craftily drives his productions with infectious bass lines.


Before the main event, a stable of local Denver DJs will warm up the dance floor: option4, Jinro, Collin McKenna, Matt Ferry and Vanish. Currently a hot name in the local DJ scene for what he does for house music both behind the decks and off them, DJ/producer option4 (TheHundred, Lipgloss, Discotheque Collective) will lay down a house music set hot on the heels of his EP release To The Night. I have a hard time writing about myself in third person - so I'll just say Jinro will be there. Collin McKenna, a DJ who has been flexing his taste-making muscles on Star Stuff Scallywags will also be gracing the decks. Matt Ferry will be bringing the latest heat, thanks to his ties to Beatport. Vanish, option4's label mate on Velcro City Records, rounds out the opening lineup.



The party takes place at The Summit Music hall on Saturday, September 8th. The show is all ages and the doors open at 8:00PM. Tickets are $15 in advance or $18 the day of the show. Tickets and more information are available online here, or contact Concerted Effort to get hard copy advance tickets without any service charges if you live in the Denver area!

For music fans who were lucky enough to catch Plastic Plates’ unforgettable set at SnowBall Music Festival last March, they know seeing the talented producer in an intimate venue like Summit Music Hall is a rare treat. Plastic Plates will bring his remixes to Denver this Friday, performing alongside Flosstradamus and headlining artist and former Aeroplane member, The Magician. Little is known about The Magician, so our friend Brianna Hernandez of Early Bird // Night Owl chatted with the Belgian producer to discuss parting ways with Aeroplane, touring the festival circuit, and his upcoming show in Denver on Friday.


BH: How did you first get into electronic music? What made you want to be a DJ?
TM: I got a magical feeling the first time I saw my uncle DJ. He played electronic disco music, but also all the records I knew from the stereo and radio at home. He was an incredible DJ and used a microphone to present each track. I was very young – it was in the '80s. When he stopped his career in 1988, he gave me his material and record collection. From there, I learned how to deejay, without a microphone [laughs] in my bedroom and started to buy electronic music records.

Finally, I had some opportunities to play in Belgian bars and clubs in the mid-90's.

BH: Which artists were you influenced by growing up? Who influences you now?
TM: Michael Jackson, ABBA, Queen, Alan Parsons Project, Supertramp, Serge Gainsbourg. Also, all the pop, synth pop and disco music from 1976 to 1988.

Nowadays, I'm influenced by Daft Punk, Mark Ronson, Erol Alkan, M83, Metronomy, Perseus, Lindstrom & Prins Thomas, Gonzales, Sebastien Tellier and more.


BH: Has it been difficult for you trust your own instinct since parting ways with Vito aka Aeroplane? Now that you are working solo, do you second guess yourself?
TM: It has been difficult indeed because I never trusted myself in the past projects. I had to make difficult decisions. Now, my mindset has changed. I do what I feel and I'm a better man for it. We only live once.

BH: You recently played Rock in Rio Festival. What was that experience like?
TM: It was my first festival experience in Portugal. The festival is great – it is in the top 20 best festivals in Europe, in my opinion. However, I felt that almost 50% of the crowd didn't know about me. But, I did my thing and it worked amazingly well!

BH: You also played Camp Bisco last year. Do you enjoy playing large outdoor festivals or smaller, more intimate shows?
TM: I have such great memories of Camp Bisco last year! I would have loved to do it again this year but it didn't work because of schedule conflicts. I like small clubs because it's warmer. Closer to the crowd, you can share a smile, dance with people, talk to them. The approach is completely different at festivals. I like it though, especially when the sun is shining!



BH: You reached Number 1 on Hype Machine with your remix of RAC’s “Hollywood (featuring Penguin Prison).” What made you choose to remix this track? How have blogs and MP3 websites like Hype Machine helped and/or hurt your career?
TM: They asked me to remix it, and I was pretty sure that I could make something cool with the vocals. Vocals are actually my first selection criteria. Being ranked on Hype Machine means that your track is the most popular. It can be for an hour, for a day, two days, etc. For sure it helps your career, your name is on many blogs and social networks. It's a great promotional tool, it helps to build your fan base.

BH: Where are some of your favorite places to play in the US and outside the US?
TM: In the US, I really like playing in New York because it's my favorite city in the world. As for the crowd, it is different in each city. I like San Francisco, New York, Washington DC, Philly, Chicago and LA. Outside the US, I love London, Tokyo, Sydney, Melbourne, Brussels, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Tel Aviv. I used to hate playing in Paris, but since last year it's become one of the best cities to play.

BH: What do you miss most about home?
TM: My cat, my studio, good food, friends, my bed…



BH: You are playing alongside Plastic Plates and Flosstradamus in Denver on June 8th. What is your favorite Plastic Plates track/remix?
TM: I've chosen Plastic Plates to tour with me, because he's good to warm up [the crowd]. My favorite tune that he’s made? I would say his remix of Adele’s "Set Fire to the Rain."

BH: Who haven’t you remixed that you would like to in the future?
TM: I would have loved to remix Lana Del Rey’s "Video Games." In the future? Metronomy, Santigold, M83 and Daft Punk. Drake or Kanye West would be an exciting new challenge.

BH:  Any crazy tour stories?
TM: Recently, when I was playing at a festival, I looked out at the crowd and they were looking at me and the stage, but not as usual. Only after having played, I saw some videos and on the stage behind me, there was a big magician’s hat and guess what came out of it? A guy with a bunny outfit, drunk and dancing during the entire set!


Catch The Magician with Plastic Plates and Flosstradamus at Summit Music Hall this Friday, presented by Euphonic Conceptions. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online here.

Back on tour after the release of their fourth studio album, Balkan Beat Box is making a stop in Denver tonight at the Summit Music Hall. This band emerged out of New York in 2005, but their sound is much more eastern than east coast. Balkan Beat Box was founded by Israeli-Americans Tamir Muskat and Ori Kaplan, and the duo fused together Mediterranean and Balkan music with electronic and hip-hop styled beats to create a fresh, new, extremely danceable approach to that traditional sound. Their third studio album release showcased some of the band's experimentation with Arabic and Spanish influences, and their newest album, Give, is another infused exploration of world sounds. Balkan Beat Box usually performs live with many supporting musicians to give incredible energy to their performances. Check out "Part of The Glory".

By Saturday evening the skies were finally clear. The storm that started Thursday night and dumped a fair share of snow on the Denver metro area had passed. Now, not only was it the heart of the weekend, but people finally had the chance to go out again after staying holed up to get away from the bad weather. The best remedy for cabin fever was at the Summit Music Hall, as Lipgloss, TheHundred and Girls & Boys Denver presented a dance party perfect for releasing the extra energy people stored away while waiting for the weather to clear.


The night began with a trio of local support. CLUB COLD duo London Dungeon, Lipgloss/Girls & Boys Denver founder boyhollow, and TheHundred founder option4 traded DJ sets to warm up the night. All three acts rotated thirty minute long sets all the way up until it was time for the headliner, making sure to keep the music flowing but varied so that the dance party would never reach a lull. The rotation approach gave each act a chance to play two sets - one for the early crowd and one when the venue got packed much tighter.

London Dungeon

London Dungeon, the duo of Van Kalsing and Thrashton Kutcher, kicked off the night and kept it going later with a house music set. They played a variety of house music styles, trending toward the deeper side of the genre at times, to get the crowd into the dancing mood. Their early set welcomed the early crowd, as people began to file toward the dance floor right away. Their later set maintained the energy that the opening acts were steadily building up until the main event.

boyhollow

Experienced DJ boyhollow unleashed an eclectic variety of electronic music on the crowd in his sets that really hyped the crowd. Despite the limitations of working with divided, shorter sets, he managed to work in classic disco, indie dance, house and even a few doses of electro bangers. Although he mixed music from all over the place, his mix never seemed haphazard thanks to boyhollow's ability to maintain a steady, seamless flow from one song to another.

option4

Smooth house aficionado option4 not only brought out very danceable, crowd-pleasing grooves during his sets, he also brought with him an energetic stage presence that constantly fed energy to the dance hungry crowd. His set consisted mainly of mid-tempo house that put dancers in a good mood, and he transferred positive energy to the crowd not only through his music but also through his demeanor. He got the audience to dance along, put their hands in the air, and go crazy at all the right moments, getting the crowd charged for the final act to come.

Passion Pit DJ Set

Finally, it was time for the DJ set the crowd had been waiting for. A couple members of the acclaimed electropop group Passion Pit were in house, and they were ready to share a dance-inducing DJ set of their own. Passion Pit bassist Jeff Apruzzese and drummer Nate Donmoyer were in house to represent the band. Jeff Apruzzese quickly took charge of the wheels of steel, churning out a house music set that kept the Summit Music Hall dance floor crowded all the way to the night's end.

Passion Pit DJ Set

Passion Pit is known for their intricately arranged brand of electropop with a unique sound derived from its synth heavy footprint, but the Passion Pit DJ set definitely explored electronic music outside of those boundaries. Electing to reveal a few influential dance tracks and personal Passion Pit party favorites, the set featured a lot of tracks that came from throughout the umbrella of house music. The set did sneak in a few of Passion Pit's original tunes, but the focus on this night was an expression of the band's house music appreciation through a steady, seamless mix.

option4, Jeff Apruzzese, Nate Donmoyer and boyhollow

The crowd responded well to all acts the entire night. The venue began to fill early and stay packed late as the spirited crowd came to dance, enjoy great mixes, and just generally have a good time. The non-stop DJ mix format meant the action never died down, and allowed people to cycle in and out of the heart of the crowd at their leisure. The constant variety of music leading up to the headliner kept the song selection interesting and kept the dance floor bubbling all night long. Having a show put on by the minds that throw some of Denver's best weekly and monthly parties assured that the crowd was in good hands, and by the end of the night any lingering notions of cabin fever had been melted away.

See more pictures from this show in the Facebook photo album. Like the Concerted Effort page to stay up to date.

Stow away those snow boots and pull out those dancing shoes because it's Saturday night so that means it's time to hit the dance floor. Lipgloss, TheHundred and Girls & Boys Denver - three of the freshest dance parties in the city - have teamed up to present a dance night so hot it will melt all your cold weather cares away. For fans of electronic dance music, this night should definitely deliver.


The party is headlined by members of the indie electro-pop/synth outfit Passion Pit. This band is known for performing intricately designed indie elctronic pop masterpieces with a unique footprint but enthralling ability to work crowds into a sweaty dance fest. So what happens when they put together a DJ set? Expect to hear an eclectic mix that will keep the dance floor crowded, as Passion Pit puts together a mix featuring originals, remixes and influences. They could play just about anything, but here's a Miike Snow remix of "The Reeling" to whet your appetite.



When boyhollow isn't busy running his weekly parties at Lipgloss and Shag Lounge, planning the next Girls & Boys Denver event, or opening for big acts that come to town, he's busy putting together a sweet party to present. This is one of those nights, but boyhollow isn't one to just stay behind the scenes. He may have put this party together, but that doesn't mean he won't contribute to it. Expect to hear boyhollow's trademark versatile sound, where he can stream together a number of genres into a very danceable mix to elicit the most crowd response. Check out his opening set for the last Denver MSTRKRFT show.



London Dungeon is quickly becoming one of Denver's busiest dance music DJ duos, thanks to their hard work ethic and ability to string together amazing live mixes. Van Kalsing and Thrashton Kutcher should be at it again tonight, playing off of their dynamic to put together a mix that will encompasses a number of house music genres. Check out their weather appropriate mix titled "The First Snow".



As the founder of one of Denver's hottest new monthly parties, TheHundred, option4 has demonstrated he knows what it takes to bring people a phenomenal club night. On a weekly basis, he also resides at Lipgloss, feeding the crowd a steady diet of groovy house that keeps audiences coming back for more. Tonight, he should be at it again, delivering dance-inducing house music like only option4 can. Check out his remix of Exosphere's "Violet Winter".


The Summit Music Hall doors open at 8:30PM and the show starts at about 9:00PM. The show is all ages and tickets are $20. Tickets and more information are available online here.

One of the latest and greatest things to happen to the Denver dance scene took place this past weekend and it had all the right ingredients to make for an epic dance party. Lipgloss founder boyhollow brought to town a party that's already taken New York and Chicago by storm: Girls & Boys. The first Girls & Boys Denver party included eight impressive DJ acts - four locals and four imports - and a spellbinding light show. There was non-stop music going on the entire night, and it made for a marathon dance fest for those that could handle it.

Fidget Factory

It wasn't enough for Girls & Boys Denver to feature some big national and international DJ names, it had to start with local representation. The party began early and I missed the DJ set from opener Spencer Flower, but I still got to see three more local purveyors of dance. I arrived shortly after eight o'clock, and local DJ duo Fidget Factory was up on stage throwing down a heavy electro mix. Fidget Factory's mixing style uses hard electro beats, splashes of womp, and clever dashes of remixed and mashed up songs. I like how in between a section of electro songs, they brought out a remix of Kelis' "Milkshake" mashed up with an instrumental of The Game's "How We Do", making a song that was pure club on so many levels. They got the early crowd's heart rate racing and served as a good warm up for the hours of dance still ahead.

London Dungeon

Next on stage was another local DJ two-piece, London Dungeon. London Dungeon started throwing down a mix that had more nu-disco house and dance-funk, getting everyone into a smooth groove. It was a good transition from the earlier set, because if they kept the intensity just as high as the previous act it probably would have wore out the crowd. Instead, their set was at the perfect mid-tempo, bringing back retro '70s and '80s dance sounds wrapped around modern dance textures. I really liked their song selection, giving everything a sort of retro feel, even with newer songs like YACHT's "Dystopia" and CSS's "Hit's Me Like A Rock" - the remixes they played were hot. After a nice discotheque session, London Dungeon handed the decks over to one more local maestro.

boyhollow

Not only did he present the show, but boyhollow had to throw down a set as well. It's obvious boyhollow has a passion for making people dance when he's so heavily involved in the parties he presents. For this evening, boyhollow threw down a mix in his characteristic eclectic style, drawing from music across genres to propagate more dance energy to the floor. Showing an ability to carefully and steadily build up crowd energy, boyhollow started with milder mid-tempo house tracks like Cassius' "The Sound of Violence" and built up the intensity until he was slamming the crowd with a little womp and hard electro like Skream's remix of "In For The Kill" by La Roux.

Paul Anthony

Paul Anthony took over the reigns next, the first imported artist of the show. He brought his Chicago house experience and Dirty Fabric record label swagger to the dance floor. Lately, Paul Anthony has been churning out electro jams and remixes one after the other, and he brought much of his production work to the decks Saturday night. Using just CD tables and a mixer, Paul Anthony brought face melting electro and hard house to the hapless Denver crowd. My favorite track had to be the remix of Laid Back's "White Horse" he threw down.

By this point of the night, people were starting to file in and take up the dance floor, and that's just when things started to get visually interesting as well. Girls & Boys Denver featured a laser display that continued to get more elaborate and amazing as the night went on. It started with a few lasers during boyhollow's and Paul Anthony's set, impressive but not much beyond the standard fare, but once the international acts of the Kitsuné Club Night Tour started to throw down, the laser light show got absolutely ridiculous.

Database

Brazilian DJ duo Database went up on stage next, bringing a crazy blend of electro house - crazy because they remix so many songs that are from outside of the electro realm. They upped the tempo and started to get the crowd sweating as people tried to keep up with one hard mix after the other. My favorite tracks were their electro mix of Stardust's "Music Sounds Better With You", bringing an old favorite back to life with a bang, and they included an electro favorite of mine, "Neon Nights" by MSTRKRFT. When Database was on stage, the party was definitely in full effect, and it only continued to get better from there.

BeatauCue

BeatauCue took the stage next, bringing their French electro house sound to Denver. They take hard electro to a new level using crazy tweaked and glitchy sounds, hard thumping bass, and souped up tempos to get dancers going wild. Their sound worked perfectly with the laser display, each high pitched burst hitting my ear drums just as synchronized flashes of colored light dazzled my eyes. They kept their set high energy, but the song that stood out was the song "Close" from their Falcon Punch EP.

RAC

From there it was up to headliners RAC to finish the night and smack the audiences' ears with songs remixed and re-imagined in creative ways. Using two laptops and an array of Ableton controllers, the remix duo impressively laid down a fluid mix of songs they manipulated for the crowd live. They reached deep into their bag of tricks, pulling out songs from across genres and giving them the dance floor treatment. They remixed Empire of the Sun, Cut Copy, CSS, Mr. Oizo, Simian Mobile Disco, Kele, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and many, many more. The RAC injected more of their dancey tunes as opposed to some of their indie rock reconstructions, but they felt out what the crowd wanted and delivered the high energy set people were seeking.

The first Girls & Boys Denver party was a great introduction on what to expect for the future. Anytime you see an upcoming Girls & Boys Denver event, expect it to be a non-stop dance fest featuring great talent and sweet visuals. They will bring in the best skilled DJs from around town, and then supplement that with huge talent from around the world. The first party was incredibly fun, thanks to the great music and atmosphere. There were not as many people there as I would have liked to have seen, but the dance floor was still going hard the entire night and it was a good showing for such a new event. If you missed out on the first one, don't worry, this party is bound to come back. But get on it, because this party is only going to get bigger and better each time and you won't want to be left out.

See more pictures from this show in the Facebook photo album. Like the Concerted Effort page to stay up to date.

One of the reasons I love watching live music is that I get the opportunity to put a face to the name, and see how that face truly delivers the music they've created to an audience. No matter how many times I listen to a studio recording, it can never compare to seeing the same song performed live - it is a completely different connection to the music. There's a genuine connection I get when I can look into the eyes of a performer and watch the music pour out of their soul. Last night was a special treat for me, because I was finally able to get that connection to an artist I've been listening to for over a decade, and it was much like putting into place the last piece of a complex puzzle. I went to the Summit Music Hall last night with all sorts of expectations and memories swimming through my head. I was trying to figure out how my expectations might be met, and what exactly would unfold when the moment would arrive. I got a chance to let my thoughts marinate for a bit while being treated to an unexpected DJ set from a familiar face.

Mike Dee(z) Nuts started off the night

There was no announcement and he took the stage without much ado, but I was immediately excited when I saw local Denver DJ Mike Dee(z) Nuts take his place behind the decks. Apparently he was called up last minute, so I was eager to see what he'd throw down. So far I'd only seem him in the context of Chavez y Chavez, but I knew he had to do something different from a banging tech-house set to open this particular night. Was he going to keep it high energy? Was he going to mix in a lot of hip-hop to appease the projected audience? It turns out, he switched it up quite a bit, keeping the set mostly down-tempo and somewhat mellow, mixing a lot of indie stuff with just a hint of hip-hop. I was surprised to hear the inclusion of Sleigh Bell's "Run The Heart", SBTRKT's "Trials of the Past", and a remix of Lykke Li's "I Follow Rivers". It wasn't what I was expecting but keeping it mellow was a good choice and a nice segue into the next set.

Aesop Rock and Kimya Dawson

Right after the DJ set it was time for Kimya Dawson and my first live glimpse of Aesop Rock. Aesop Rock and Kimya Dawson had been collaborating on songs, some that will be released on Kimya Dawson's new album, and some that will be on an album featuring them both. The two wasted no time introducing the audience to their latest efforts, and it was definitely fun to watch. Kimya Dawson started off, playing her blue acoustic guitar and singing in her familiar anti-folky Moldy Peaches style. Then Aesop Rock would come in and lay down rhymes over Kimya Dawson's guitar - an interesting blend, but it worked. The folky guitar was definitely a departure from the grim and dark beats Aesop Rock usually flows over, but he spit with the same passion, bringing his signature metaphorical rhyme style to match Kimya Dawson's subverted folk lyrics.

Kimya Dawson

After a couple collaborative songs, Aesop Rock left the stage and Kimya Dawson performed the rest of her set solo. Kimya's music is about her witty lyricism, bordering on smarmy but actually incredibly hard not to like if you pick out the words. Kimya's music is not about instrumentation however, and she was definitely the first to admit it when she proclaimed, "I know all my songs sound the same!" Her songs are heavily based on the chord progression from G major to D major, sometimes throwing in C major for good measure. Yet, with that simple backbone she performed songs that touched a range of topic and the lyrics were so well done and often outright hilarious that her songs did indeed become separate and memorable.

I wasn't sure how a crowd of hip-hop fans would react to Kimya, but she got a sizable positive reception, enough to fluster her a couple times mid-song where she'd have to interject, "Wow, Denver is so loud. You guys are so loud here!" She performed a mix of solo songs and a handful of The Moldy Peaches songs, enough to satiate the surprising amount of fans upfront singing along with her. It was a nourishing experience - one that hit home the fact that this wasn't just your typical hip-hop show.

Aesop Rock and Rob Sonic

Finally it was time for the main event, and the crowd reacted with much fervor when Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic and DJ Big Wiz all came out onto the stage. My apologies to DJ Big Wiz, I totally had his name wrong when I previewed the show yesterday and pretty much ignored the fact he'd be at the show, but he was an integral part to the performance, laying down and chopping up the beats like a skilled DMC cut-master. With DJ Big Wiz controlling the cuts behind the decks, Rob Sonic played the support role and Aesop Rock started laying out his rhythmic poetry.

Aesop Rock and Kimya Dawson on the mic, DJ Big Wiz on the beats

Aesop Rock's performance was a journey through past, present and future as he performed songs throughout his extensive catalog. The prolific rapper made sure to include tracks from the beginning of his career, and signature tracks from his heyday. I especially enjoyed the way he went from "Night Light" to "Daylight", getting the entire venue to shout the chorus, "All I ever wanted was to pick apart the day/Put the pieces back together my way", along with him in a raucous roar. He included as yet unreleased material from his new project Hail Mary Mallon, a group including Rob Sonic and DJ Big Wiz. He brought out Kimya Dawson to unleash some more of their collaborative efforts, this time Kimya Dawson would rap and sing in support of Aesop Rock and his beats. The crowd was so hyped hands flailed tirelessly up and down everywhere you looked, including hands spilling over the balcony. Aesop Rock was great at getting the crowd involved, getting the audience to sing along to just about every chorus. When the night ended with "None Shall Pass", Aesop Rock had the crowd roaring along and the crowd kept repeating the chorus as if to stretch the song out as long as possible.

Aesop Rock

It was amazing finally putting together the final pieces of the Aesop Rock puzzle last night. I was able to witness the pure passion that Aesop Rock brings to the stage in a live setting. It spills out of his every pore and is apparent in every gesture he makes. Rob Sonic was incredible too and was excellent at hyping the crowd. He would get everyone's hands in the air, come up to the edge of the stage, and touch every hand that was in reach, making the crowd erupt. It was a diverse crowd, as both old and new fans came together to create a unique energy that could have fueled a rocket to the moon.

I only wish the show could have gone on forever, but of course Aesop Rock had to pick and choose which songs to bring that night rather than unrealistically breaking out his whole discography. I also wish Rob Sonic laid down some of his solo stuff, but I left satisfied with what Rob Sonic brought last night. Kimya Dawson was a refreshing change of pace, and is definitely the sweetest soul. I loved how when she finished being on stage, she came right out and raged with the crowd for the rest of the show. Aesop Rock is phenomenal on his albums, and he is just that much better live. I'm glad to have finally witnessed it.

On a side note, sorry for the crappy quality pictures this time. I couldn't take my usual camera to this show due to venue restrictions. I'll work harder to get past those next time.

I already mentioned this show yesterday, but those unable to catch these guys in Fort Collins will have another chance to see them tonight, this time at the Summit Music Hall in Denver. It should be a real treat to longtime fans of underground hip-hop and just may cause a paradigm shift for those who will be witnessing Aesop Rock for the first time. Kimya Dawson is an interesting inclusion to the lineup, suggesting there will be some folk and hip-hop crossover happening tonight. Rob Sonic is another quality Definitive Jux labelmate that will set the stage well for Aesop.


Aesop Rock quietly launched his career in 1996, bringing a distinctive vocal style and complex, metaphorical and subjective lyricism to the underground hip-hop scene. Using dark beats mainly produced by himself and hip-hop experimental instrumentalist Blockhead, his unique sound quickly grew in popularity and thrust him as being one of the biggest breakthrough acts in the indie rap world. He is currently working on a collaborative album with anti-folk singer-songwriter Kimya Dawson, so I expect to see much of this intriguing project. I do hope Aesop Rock performs much of his solo material like "Labor" and "None Shall Pass", but I won't be surprised if his performance is dominated by new material.


I don't know much about Kimya Dawson aside from the work she did on the Juno motion picture soundtrack like "Tire Swing".  She is known for playing subverted folk music (anti-folk) - music that has the traditional sound of folk but where the lyrical content is turned on its head in a sort of satirical manner. Conceptually, the idea of Kimya and Aesop working together makes sense. Aesop Rock is more of an anti-hip-hop artist, abandoning common rap themes and is known to be a bit satirical himself. They should be an interesting performance pair.


I first heard Rob Sonic in 2004, shortly after the release of his debut album Telicatessen. Rob Sonic handled the majority of the production on this album and the quirky beats instantly sucked me in. It's like he's a distant cousin of producer El-P, but with playfully dark beats, almost whimsical. Since then, he released a similarly styled album in 2007 called Sabotage Gigante. I'm very excited to finally see this guy live, and I hope he plays early stuff like "New Car Smell" to go along with his newer material like "Rock The Convoy".

The show starts at the Summit Music Hall at 8:00PM. Tickets are $20. It'll be the first time since I've been taking my camera out that I won't be allowed to have it tonight, so I'll apologize in advance for the crappy camera phone pictures I'm going to have to take.


None Shall Pass-Aesop Rock by TheBoyandColors

06-kimya dawson-tire swing by Jezzyroks